This invention relates to a laundry machine that can wash, dehydrate and dry the laundry. During dehydrating, the machine removes water from the laundry, but leaving the laundry damp.
The following two types of such laundry machine are known.
The laundry machine of the first type comprises a water container and a perforated rotation drum. The rotation drum is supported in the water container so that the drum can rotate about a horizontal axis. After the laundry is loaded in the rotation drum and water is supplied to the water container, the rotation drum is rotated to wash and rinse the laundry. Subsequently, water is drained and the rotation drum rotates at high speed to dehydrate the laundry. Finally, warm air is supplied to the rotation drum and the rotation drum rotates to dry the laundry.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 61-196993 proposes the second type of the laundry machine which comprises a housing, container holder in the housing, a cylindrical water container, a perforated rotation tub, and an agitator. The container holder supports the water container so that the water container can be displaced vertically or horizontally relative to the container holder. The water container rotatably supports the rotation tub which in turn rotatably supports the agitator. To wash and rinse the laundry, the water container is arranged vertically, the laundry is loaded in the rotation tub, water is supplied to the water container, and the agitator is rotated. Subsequently, water is drained from the water container, and the rotation tub is rotated at high speed about a vertical axis to dehydrate the laundry. To dry the laundry, the water container is displaced horizontally, warm air is supplied to the rotation tub, and the rotation tub is rotated about a horizontal axis.
However, in the first type of the laundry machine, after the laundry is washed, the laundry accumulates in the bottom of the rotation drum. After the rotation drum rotates about the horizontal axis at high speed to dehydrate the laundry, the following problem results. During rotation the rotation drum loses its balance and vibrates due to the unbalanced load of the laundry, thus generating noise.
In the second type of laundry machine, the water container changes its attitude between a vertical attitude and a horizontal one. This prior-art laundry machine thus requires drive mechanism for controlling the attitude of the water container, in addition to a drive mechanism for rotating the rotation tub. This prior-art laundry machine is thus complicated in structure, large-sized, and expensive. When the dehydrating process shifts to the drying process, or when the drying process shifts to the next washing process, the water container must be displaced vertically or horizontally. Consequently, the processes do not shift to the next quickly.